10 Bands Who Survived A Lead Singer Change
7. Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath represented everything great about the early days of metal music. Instead of bands trying to outshine one another in terms of heaviness or speed, Sabbath just did what came naturally and started to compose songs that embodied the chaos and darkness of everyday life.
Each member seemed to have their own individual lane, but the main draw live was Ozzy Osbourne, who was the resident madman in Sabbath's macabre circus. However, various instances throughout the years with drugs and booze left Osbourne a shell of what he once was. Half the time, fans would get guitarist Tony Iommi taking the spotlight while everyone's favorite madman was relegated to the side of the stage.
When the band split, many didn't know if either side could continue, with Sabbath always being a compact metal machine. Thankfully, Sabbath was reborn when they acquired Ronnie James Dio from Rainbow. From the opening notes of "Heaven and Hell" any pretenses that the band was over were long gone. As album after album followed, Dio turned into one of the greatest vocalists in metal music. Though Ozzy continued to make waves elsewhere, Sabbath's material was sure to remain as delightfully demonic as ever.